North Korea fired a salvo of short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast on Thursday, South Korea's military said, the latest in a string of weapons tests as tensions along the heavily fortified border climb.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were launched from the Wonsan area at about 12.30pm local time (6.30am in Nairobi) and flew towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. Seoul put the number at around 10, while AFP and other wire reports described "around a dozen". The missiles travelled about 250km, and South Korean and US officials are still analysing their specifications.

Seoul and Tokyo respond

South Korea's National Security Office said the launches violated United Nations Security Council resolutions and described them as "serious acts that do nothing to help manage the current situation". The military said it had stepped up surveillance for further launches and was sharing information closely with the United States and Japan.

Japan's Defence Ministry said the missiles appeared to have fallen outside its exclusive economic zone, and the Japan Coast Guard warned vessels not to approach any fallen objects.

Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University, told AFP the launch "should be seen as a fairly high-level show of force", signalling that the North can hit major South Korean and US military sites and warning Seoul not to interfere with its border fortification work.

A landmine row and loudspeakers

The launches follow weeks of rising friction on the peninsula:

  • A landmine blast in the Demilitarised Zone wounded three South Korean soldiers. A joint investigation by Seoul and the UN Command concluded earlier this month that North Korea planted the mines more than a year ago.
  • Seoul called the mines a clear breach of the 1953 Armistice Agreement and demanded an apology, which Pyongyang mocked.
  • Last week Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong-un, said propaganda loudspeakers would be placed on standby along the border "within days" and that unspecified "new counter means" were on alert.
  • Seoul has proposed military talks to confirm the exact border line and restore communication channels, but the North has not replied.

The previous ballistic launch was on 12 October. North Korea has also recently claimed tests of a precision-guided torpedo, an intermediate-range hypersonic missile and a submarine-launched cruise missile.

The Trump factor

The launches come as US President Donald Trump has made overtures to Kim, describing their relationship as "very good" while appearing to play down the prospect of a summit. Some in Seoul fear South Korea could be sidelined in any direct US-North Korea nuclear talks.

The two Koreas remain technically at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

Photos: Anadolu Agency; Philip Fong/AFP via France 24. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.